He’s hanging up his cleats. Alex Rodriguez plans to retire from baseball following the 2017 season, ESPN confirms. The New York Yankees third baseman announced the news in a statement on Wednesday, March 23.
“I won’t play after next year,” Rodriguez, 40, told the site. “I’ve really enjoyed my time. For me, it is time for me to go home and be dad.”
Rodriguez shares daughters Natasha, 11, and Ella, 7, with his ex-wife, Cynthia Scurtis. As previously reported, he’s now dating Anne Wojcicki, the ex-wife of Google cofounder Sergey Brin.
The 14-time All Star was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 1993 and officially made his major league debut in 1994 at 18 years old. He went on to play for the Texas Rangers before signing with the Yankees in 2004. Ahead of the 2008 season, he signed a history-making 10-year contract for $275 million.
Rodriguez has won several accolades since he first stepped out onto the field. He received the American League Most Valuable Player Award three times (in 2003, 2005 and 2007) and will kick off his last season with 687 home runs already under his belt.
The New York native has also faced scandal during his career, though. He was suspended from the 2014 season without pay for using performance-enhancing drugs, and apologized to fans in a public letter. He bounced back the following year, and is now 76 home runs away from breaking Barry Bonds’ record.
Rodriguez’s former teammate and captain Derek Jeter retired at the end of the 2014 season.
